Jack Ingram may not look like Kenny Chesney, and he doesn't sport the McGowan black cowboy hats that have made Tim McGraw instantly recognizable. What Ingram does have is a voice and a personality all his own, and that was more than enough to fill World Cafe Live on a rainy Sunday night in downtown Philadelphia.

The "Acoustic Motel Tour" is not only a nod to some grungy roadhouses and just a few of Ingram's heroes (he grew up listening to Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson) but a spirited presentation of his own sound, one that can't be completely defined with labels and advertisements. Ingram's brand isn't country," it's "Jack Ingram country" -- tackling everything from deep-rooted family issues ("Measure of a Man") to carefree summer fun ("Barefoot and Crazy").

The best part of a Jack Ingram concert also isn't just the music, though there was plenty of it in Philly. Ingram, by all rights, seems to be a natural born story teller. He's a guy that can capture and hold the attention of an audience with a quick smile, a funny joke, a few curse words (yeah, they slipped out every now and then) and a humble nature that is too far gone from too many of Nashville's biggest names.

As Ingram worked his way through a set list that included songs like "Biloxi" he talked about the father who disappeared from his life at seventeen. Ingram channeled his anger into music, and played the song for his dad on Christmas Day, with lyrics that asked, "Did you ever think you'd find more than you left behind?" "Meausure of a Man" was their 'making up song' and "Ava Adele" was Ingram's tribute to his first child, a daughter who is now seven years old.

Ingram joked that the "family" part of the evening continued as he worked through "Make a Wish" (a tune he wrote for his second child) and a brand new song that became a birthday gift to his wife called "More Than That." He followed it up with the hilariously spiteful "Mustang Burn" (an ode to Robert Earl Keen) and"Happy, Happy," a bit that railed against the industry and actually got Ingram booted from his record label about the same time the Dixie Chicks were enjoying their rise to prominence.

"Wherever You Are" came after Ingram recalled the song's rise to the top of the charts back in 2005. The song was not only his first ever No. 1 single, but the first number one hit for his independent label Big Machine Records. (He's since followed up with six other songs into the country Top 40, including the audience favorite "Love You," a kiss-off where lyrics feature several phrases where the word love replaces another infamous four-letter word. ( ("Love you, love this town / Love this mother-lovin' truck that keeps breakin' lovin' down").

Ingram was unplugged (literally) for the encore as he stepped away from the microphone to perform "Goodnight Moon," then sent the crowd home happy as he moved the party into the spacious downstairs lobby to sign autographs and take pictures with the fans. As the crowd dwindled down, I had a chance to ask him who came up with the idea for an acoustic show. "It's something I started years ago and really fell in love with," he told me. Beside him, shirts and CDs were being sold from a cardboard box, and Ingram took the time to personally thank everyone that spent their money on a ticket and merchandise.

"I get paid to play music for a living. What more could I ask for?" he mused. He then provided a behind-the-scenes glimpse to his music and to an engaging personality destined to keep winning him fans, no matter where his next single lands on the charts.

(Jack Ingram returns to the area to play WXTU's 26th Anniversary Show on June 5. More information can be found HERE. You can also follow him on Twitter (@jackingram).

JOHN J. MOSER has been around long enough to have seen the original Ramones in a small club in New Jersey, U2 from the fourth row of a theater and Bob Dylan's born-again tours. But he also has the number for All-American Rejects' Nick Wheeler on his cell phone, wrote the first story ever done on Jack's Mannequin and hung out in Wiz Khalifa's hotel room.

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

JODI DUCKETT: As The Morning Call's assistant features editor responsible for entertainment, she spends a lot of time surveying the music landscape and sizing up the Valley's festivals and club scene. She's no expert, but enjoys it all — especially artists who resonated in her younger years, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Tracy Chapman, Santana and Joni Mitchell.

KATHY LAUER-WILLIAMS enjoys all types of music, from roots rock and folk to classical and opera. Music has been a constant backdrop to her life since she first sat on the steps listening to her mother’s Broadway LPs when she was 2. Since becoming a mother herself, she has become well-versed on the growing genre of kindie rock and, with her son in tow, can boast she has seen a majority of the current kid’s performers from Dan Zanes to They Might Be Giants.

STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS: A Jersey native raised in Northeast PA, she was reared in a house littered with 8-tracks, 45s and cassette tapes of The Beatles, Elvis, Meatloaf and Billy Joel. She also grew up on the sounds of Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw and can be found traversing the countryside in search of the sounds of a steel guitar. A fan of today's 'new country,' she digs mainstream/country-pop crossovers like Lady Antebellum and Sugarland and other artists that illustrate the genre's diversity.